Kevin Hart Wants to Be an Underwear Mogul

Kevin Hart is many things—stand-up comic, movie star, sneakerhead, dad—but he's something a little more unexpected, too: an underwear expert and enthusiast. Specifically, a fan of Tommy John, the Internet-born brand that promises drawers at the intersection of comfort, style, and affordability. When Hart discovered the brand at a local Nordstrom while on tour, he was so blown away he felt the need to reach out to founder and CEO Tom Patterson. Which led not only to a co-designed Tommy John x Kevin Hart six-piece underwear and loungewear capsule collection, but also to Kevin actually becoming an investor in the brand. "I'm beyond excited," Hart told GQ over the weekend as he prepped for the collection to finally launch. "It's a good time right now. It's a good moment, it's long overdue." Is Kevin Hart the new Calvin Klein? We asked him all about underwear to find out.

I heard you ran out of underwear on tour and ran out to Nordstrom to pick some up, and that's how you discovered Tommy John.One hundred percent. The story behind it is, we were on the road. And I was like, "Guys, I forgot to pack more underwear." [Laughs] We had another four or five days left, and I forget what city we were in, but I thought I'd just get enough so we don't have to stop again. Me, going to the store, I just grabbed all the Tommy Johns they had, and I never looked back. I became a fan, and I haven't worn anything since.

So what made Tommy John stand out to you? What makes the perfect pair of underwear?For me, it's quality. I wasn't familiar with the level of quality that could come with underwear—all I knew was what I had. When I tried something different, I was like, Oh, my god, I feel like I don't have anything on. The underwear hugs me, in a good way. They're working with me. And the best thing for me is putting them on with my jeans and them not bunching up underneath. I had a consistent level of comfort throughout my day.

I'm sure when you're on tour, when you're onstage, every little variable matters, so comfortable underwear is a must.Exactly. You know, another thing I noticed was, a lot of time underwear gets really raggedy after you wash it a couple of times. These last. To me, they're worth the money. Yes, they are a little more expensive than the underwear I've bought in the past, but oh, my god, I've had them for a long time. I haven't had to change or replace them one single time. For me, that's huge. Normally, I would pump and dump, buy underwear and wear it a few times and then I'm out. So this was a no-brainer.

And you liked Tommy John so much you decided to start working with them.For me, it was coming into the brand and actually meeting with Tommy and telling him I was a fan of the product. Before I said anything, I told him, "I want you to understand that I'm not a guy coming to talk to you from the perspective, like, I want you to put my face on the underwear and will you pay me to do this." I told him that I thought the product was amazing and I want to invest in the product, and I would love to ultimately help grow the brand. I have the power and capability to bring an additional level of awareness to your product. I'm not all over everything, the things I attach myself to are things I can say go along with my brand. It's something true to the movement of myself and my business. I think these underwear fit my lifestyle; that's literally what I felt.

Wow, that really says something that you approached them.What I loved most about it is [Tommy John CEO] Tom didn't jump at it. He wasn't blown away by the celebrity. He wasn't like, "Oh, God, Kevin Hart wants to be a part of this, let's go." He had to do his homework. He had to see if it was something he wanted, if it was something that fit with the brand. I respect him so much for that, for not just jumping up and saying, "Yeah, Kevin Hart, it's going to be amazing." I literally had to sell him on what I felt I could bring to the brand. Because he saw the passion I have, that's why we've been able to develop what we've developed and made it to the point we've made it to. The Tommy John x Kevin Hart line that's out, people are going to go: Holy cow, look, this is not only just an underwear brand, it's something true to Kevin's life. Because I'm at war every day, and I love that I challenge myself, I love that I'm my own competition. And the underwear are a true testament to my approach to day-to-day life and work. The quality, the comfort, the loungewear—it's a reflection of, when I do have time off, I want to spend that time in comfort. I want to feel good and be as comfortable as possible.

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Your career is rocking, you have a wife and kids, and now you're taking this on. How do you balance it?For me, it's always about becoming the best version of myself. There is no finish line. I think that throughout the good and the bad, you've got yourself to look at in the mirror. When I look in the mirror, I want to know that I gave 110 percent and was the best that I could possibly be. From physical fitness to business to entertainment to fatherhood to being a good husband, everything—I need to know that I'm putting my all in and that I'm covering all bases so that when I leave this earth, when everything is said and done, people can respect me and say good things about me.

Going back a second, are you a big shopper? Because I have to say, I can't help but laugh thinking about you wandering around a Nordstrom in some random city. You're a huge celebrity!The one thing that I make sure that I do, more than anything, is maintain a level head. You can't put yourself in a bubble or think you're at a point where you can't go out and be around people and socialize. You have to embrace the public. They helped me get to where I am. I don't run from it, I never will. That's why I like to go shopping. So yes, I go shopping and stores and stuff.

Steven Visneau

As an actor, I know you often have wardrobe people dressing you, and you have to change in front of people. Have you ever had a funny or weird underwear experience?When you say funny moments, the funniest moment to me is the reaction from fans who go, "Oh, my god, he's doing this, too? Kevin, you got underwear now?" It's the shock that comes from that not believing that I'm taking on another endeavor. Those are the conversations that I find myself having now that they realize what I'm doing.

That's amazing.What I really want people to understand is that I'm not an ambassador, I'm an investor. I'm the owner of the product, and I stand behind what it represents. The collection has been a dream come true, and I hope that people embrace the product. I think it's a bright future for the company and an even brighter one for my relationship with Tommy John. Get used to seeing me, Tommy John x Kevin Hart—the underwear game got a whole lot more comfortable.

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